Crimson Dominates Against Massachusetts Opponents

Co-captain Nirasha Guruge, shown above in earlier action, and the Harvard women’s squash team did not drop a single match this weekend. Despite playing a demanding number of games, the Crimson came out on top in each of its matchups, 9-0. Junior Laura Gemmell played her only match of the weekend against No. 15 Amherst, downing her opponent in three straight sets.

Playing 27 matches in one day seems like a pretty tall order.

But that’s exactly what the players of the Harvard women’s squash team (7-0, 1-0 Ivy) did this past Saturday, as they swept the Amherst (1-1, 1-0 NESCAC), Wellesley (4-6), and Boston College (1-3) squads.

“It was a really good weekend,” sophomore Natasha Anzik said. “Everyone came together and had great matches.”

No. 1 HARVARD 9, No. 31 BOSTON COLLEGE 0

Claiming victory in a 9-0 sweep, the Crimson ended its Saturday play at MIT’s Zesiger Center with apparent ease. Despite the change in Harvard’s lineup, which included rookies Haley Mendez and Julianne Chu in the top two slots, the Eagles failed to find success on the courts—the Crimson captured each match in straight sets in its first-ever matchup against Boston College.

New faces appeared further down the ladder as well, with freshmen Megan Murray and Yuleissy Ramirez playing in the No. 4 and No. 7 spots.

“They’re a talented group,” said sophomore Georgie Brinkley of the team’s newest players. “Squash is an individual sport, so I think it was a new experience for the freshmen to play in college and compete as part of a team. … We’re all excited to see them show their skill in the rest of the season.”

Brinkley herself also displayed her skills this past weekend. At No. 6, the Locust Valley, N.Y. native played her second match of the season in the top nine; her first occurred only hours earlier against the Blue’s Jennifer Hsu at No. 8.

HARVARD 9, No. 28 WELLESLEY 0

In its middle match of the day, Harvard felled Wellesley in dominant fashion despite a gap of 29 years since its last match against the Blue.

Further changes in the order from top to bottom also did little to slow the Crimson’s momentum.

“The matches all went smoothly for everyone,” Chu said.

Chu herself played in the third slot against freshman Elizabeth Tyson. Winning 11-6, 11-8, 11-6, she continued to make the transition to college play look effortless despite her words to the contrary.

“It’s been a huge transition from junior squash to college squash for me,” she said. “Now we play as a team. [But] I love team-oriented sports, so it has been an especially great challenge.”

In the top spot versus sophomore Emma Haley, veteran and co-captain Nirasha Guruge also played to a 3-0 victory.